Governing Nigeria requires a through understanding of the nation, the different peoples, their needs and aspirations. It requires careful thought, planning and a lot of consultation. It requires setting up machinery that will take many adverse needs and opinions into consideration. It would require foresight, effective and efficient planning. It requires a thorough understanding of Nigeria’s potential, its vast resources and the opportunities it provides.
Bearing all the above in mind, I would like to propose the following administrative structure for Nigeria. I believe Nigeria should have a consultative arm and an executive arm. In this regard I am of the opinion that there should be a ceremonial head of state or president to handle home affairs and internal consultation and a prime minister or head of government to do the actual day to day planning, implementation and administration.
The president or head of state rather like the chairman of a company takes into account the broad needs of the company, company goals and the direction and the need of the shareholders of that company. He needs to be an experienced, mature, patient and understanding man. He will also act as a check against the excesses of management, headed by a managing director, in this case the prime minister. Supporting the chairman is a board of directors, in this case our board will be persons chosen amongst the shareholders (i.e. the people of Nigeria) to represent their interests on the board. They will serve as the channel of the people to the government and will be senators or members of the House of Assembly. Essentially, the head of the assembly will therefore be the president. If they wish they may choose from amongst a secretary who will have administrative functions and may be called Senate Secretary or Senate Leader.
Consequently, the president and the senate secretary will work closely together. The senators will of necessity be based in the states which they represent, where they will have senate offices to receive the need and yearnings of their people. They will meet in the federal capital, either once a month for 1 week or perhaps every 2nd month in which they will deliberate on government issues that require their attention or bring forward their state’s requests. They will have direct access to the president at all times to present their various papers/request.
I still believe Nigeria should be governed on a state by state basis of self viability in terms of national resources taking ethnic groupings into consideration. The number and spread I cannot determine. States should be further subdivided into local governments headed by the chairmen with strong deputies who will represent the state at the state houses of assembly. The local government chairman will report directly to the governors. Each local government will have its own vote for its developments. It is hoped the local government will be broken down into each groups that will:
- ensure even development of the whole country;
- be able to identify the potentials and problems of a microcosm of Nigeria. As much as possible each local government should be self sustaining in term of revenue generation and local area development. They should serve as catalysts to encourage private entrepreneurship. There should be a healthy competition amongst local governments and consequently states, to see the ones that are best run rather like divisions in a well run big company.
The president will therefore have the following functions:
1) serve as a rallying point for the country;
2) receive the assessment and requests of different parts of Nigeria;
3) preside over all ceremonial occasions;
4) where necessary attend external ceremonies befitting of a head of state;
5) present the general country’s opinions and needs to the prime minister for implementation.
There would also be a vice president whose duties would be to assist the president, especially at ceremonial occasions. He will also serve as an ambassador plenipotentiary attending such external functions that require a Nigerian presence. This is so as to ensure that at most times, the president and prime minister are left in Nigeria to solve Nigeria’s problems. The vice president will of essence work closely with the foreign affairs ministry. He must therefore be a morally upright, dignified, responsible, educated and mature man that would be able to represent Nigeria’s interest effectively. The present structure of ministers should be left intact; they will serve like the heads of corporate divisions while governors act like branch managers.
The prime minister will be the head of government – he will be the brain of the nation – the action station, think tank, planner, operator and implementer. He would be a man of vision, a hard working tireless man who has the nation’s genuine interest at heart. He will be a man with a quest for the general development of all. He would be an understanding manager, a resoundingly disciplined man, a no nonsense fellow who will accept criticism and take advice. An extremely good delegator, educated and knowledgeable. He would be charged like a managing director with the day to day administration of Nigeria. In effect he would take full responsibility for the success or failure of the nation.
